USEF Foundation
USEF Foundation was a Netherlands-based non-profit foundation (2014–2021) that developed and freely distributed the Universal Smart Energy Framework, an open standard for trading energy flexibility between DSOs, aggregators and prosumers across Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersArnhem, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What USEF Foundation does
USEF Foundation (Universal Smart Energy Framework Foundation) was a Netherlands-domiciled, non-profit private foundation established in 2014 in Arnhem to design and promulgate an open, pan-European market framework for trading and commoditising energy flexibility. The foundation was founded by seven key players across the smart energy industry — ABB, Alliander, DNV GL, Essent, IBM, ICT Group and Stedin — and engaged over 50 internal and external experts to build the Universal Smart Energy Framework (USEF), a coordination standard for distribution system operators (DSOs), transmission system operators (TSOs), balance responsible parties (BRPs), suppliers and aggregators, with prosumers (residential and business) as the underlying flexibility providers.
The foundation's deliverables were codified specifications rather than software: the core publication 'USEF: The Framework Explained', the USEF Flexibility Trading Protocol (UFTP) — a simplified DSO–Aggregator interface specification with .XSD message schemas on GitHub — and a portfolio of white papers on flexibility value stacking, platforms, deployment in Europe and Citizens Energy Communities. Supporting outputs included the 'Balance of Power' documentary-style serious game (Energy Institute Award 2019) and validation through 14+ European implementations (FUSION, Enera, DYNAMO, InterFlex, CATALYST, DRIvE, Smart Solar Charging and Heerhugowaard). The framework was made freely downloadable to accelerate market-wide adoption.
USEF's business model was non-commercial: no products or licensing fees were sold. Operations were funded by founding partner contributions and government/EU grants (e.g., InterFlex, Interreg). GTM motion was community-led via the User Community meetings, EU policy engagement (EG3, BRIDGE, Pentalateral Energy Forum) and content-driven education. The foundation concluded activities on 1 July 2021, declaring its mission accomplished once flexibility was recognized as a tradeable commodity in European smart energy markets; ongoing standardization was transferred to founding DSOs Alliander and Stedin from 1 June 2021. The legal entity remains registered but is operationally closed.
USEF Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- USEF Foundation
- Legal name
- Universal Smart Energy Framework Foundation
- Website
- https://usef.energy
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- USEF Foundation was a Netherlands-based non-profit foundation (2014–2021) that developed and freely distributed the Universal Smart Energy Framework, an open standard for trading energy flexibility between DSOs, aggregators and prosumers across Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
USEF Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smart Energy Flexibility Market Standards
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail Supply + DER/Virtual Power Plant Bundles (Solar, Storage, DR) (EUAGABAI)
Keywords
Where USEF Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arnhem
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
USEF Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Framework Distribution: The USEF Framework was freely downloadable. The foundation operated as a non-profit standards organization, providing all relevant components required to understand and implement a market for flexibility at no cost. The organization was funded by founding partners and government grants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Freely available framework - no pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
USEF Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
USEF Foundation develops and publishes the Universal Smart Energy Framework (USEF), an open, freely available standard that defines how electricity flexibility (from connected devices, smart appliances, energy storage, and renewables) is monetized and traded across competing use cases. It distributes this framework through downloadable publications (USEF: The Framework Explained), technical specifications (USEF Framework Specifications and the USEF Flex Trading Protocol, UFTP), supporting white papers, an educational interactive game called Balance of Power, and a public GitHub repository of reference implementations, all aimed at Distribution System Operators (DSOs), Aggregators, Balance Responsible Parties (BRPs), Transmission System Operators (TSOs), energy suppliers, and government stakeholders.
Product overview
USEF Foundation provides a comprehensive framework and set of specifications for smart energy flexibility markets, not a traditional software product. The core offering is the Universal Smart Energy Framework itself—a market design for the trading and commoditisation of energy flexibility. Key products include: the Framework Explained (core publication), USEF Flex Trading Protocol (UFTP) specifications for DSO-Aggregator interfaces, multiple white papers on flexibility deployment, platforms, value stacking, and Citizens Energy Communities, plus the Balance of Power educational serious game. All materials are freely downloadable as the foundation aimed to establish common smart energy standards across Europe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- USEF: The Framework Explained Core introductory publication of the USEF framework for energy actors learning how flexibility markets are designed, monetised and coordinated. Free to download from the foundation website.
- USEF Flex Trading Protocol (UFTP) specification Formal, normative technical specification (UFTP) that defines the messages and interactions for trading flexibility between DSOs, aggregators, BRPs, suppliers and TSOs under the USEF framework. Downloadable as a PDF from the foundation website.
- USEF Framework Specifications Consolidated package of normative technical specifications and addenda that implement the USEF framework, providing the rules and message definitions that aggregators, DSOs and other actors must follow to participate in USEF-based flexibility markets.
- Balance of Power (interactive educational game) Interactive educational card/tabletop game plus accompanying booklet that teaches new market entrants, students and the broader public how flexibility is traded under the USEF framework, with USEF, Alliander and Stedin as partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- Energy flexibility as tradeable commodity widely adopted across Europe
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use USEF Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
USEF Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
USEF Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, strategic and partner.
- Hitachi EuropemajorProject partner in Smart Energy Isles implementation on the Isles of Scilly, UK. Hitachi implemented USEF as the day-ahead and intra-day trading mechanism between Resource Management Server (acting as DSO) and aggregators.
- JedlixmajorAggregator partner in Smart Solar Charging consortium project in Utrecht. Jedlix aggregates EV flexibility using USEF framework for DSO Stedin to manage grid congestion.
- EnexismajorDSO partner in EU InterFlex project demonstrating USEF-based flexibility market in Eindhoven, validating usability of flexibility market based on static battery storage and electric vehicles.
- AlliandercoreDSO and founding partner of USEF Foundation. Alliander led the transition of framework standardization after the foundation ended its activities in July 2021, continuing the work alongside Stedin.
- StedincoreDSO and founding partner of USEF Foundation. Stedin co-led the transition of framework standardization after the foundation ended, working with Alliander to continue market standardization.
- EssentcoreEnergy supplier and founding partner of USEF Foundation, contributing to the development of the smart energy framework from its origins in the Smart Energy Collective.
- ABBcoreTechnology company and founding partner of USEF Foundation, providing technical expertise in smart energy technologies and automation.
- DNV GLcoreEnergy advisory and certification company and founding partner, providing expertise in energy system validation and standards development.
- IBMcoreTechnology company and founding partner, contributing expertise in smart energy systems, IoT, and platform technologies.
- ICT GroupcoreTechnology company and founding partner, contributing expertise in ICT solutions for smart energy systems. ICT Group continued supporting USEF implementations after the foundation ended.
- Alliander (Liander)majorDSO partner in DYNAMO project establishing USEF-based flexibility market in Nijmegen to avoid or postpone extra cabling through flexibility procurement.
- ENTSO-EstrategicEuropean network of transmission system operators. USEF participated with ENTSO-E in EG3 editorial team providing regulatory recommendations for smart grid deployment.
- Smart Grids Task Force EG3strategicEU Expert Group providing regulatory recommendations for smart grid deployment. USEF invited as non-association entity alongside smartEn, CEDEC, CEER, and EC.
- Scholt EnergypartnerAggregator partner in User Community working with DSOs to exchange implementation experience and lower barriers for flexibility trading using UFTP.
- EnervalispartnerAggregator partner in User Community contributing to UFTP development and implementation experience sharing.
- TNOpartnerResearch organization partner in User Community contributing technical expertise to UFTP implementation.
- ebIXstrategicStandards organization for energy data exchange. USEF invited to participate in ebIX distributed flexibility project to define standardized processes and data exchange for energy flexibility products.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
USEF Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- smartEn (formerly ESGFG / European Smart Grids Industry Group): European industry association representing smart energy solution providers, active in EU regulatory discussions (e.g. EG3, Clean Energy Package) on topics that overlap with USEF's mandate, such as DSO-aggregator interaction and demand response. Comparable as an EU-level coordinating body for smart energy market design.
- CEER (Council of European Energy Regulators): Body of European national energy regulators contributing to EU smart energy policy and frameworks (including EG3 with USEF). Comparable as a multi-stakeholder institution in the same European smart grid policy ecosystem USEF engaged with, but operating from the regulatory rather than market-design side.
- ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission System Operators): The official European association of TSOs that co-developed EG3 regulatory recommendations with USEF. Comparable as an institutional actor shaping European grid flexibility and TSO-DSO coordination frameworks, though operating at transmission rather than distribution level.
- ESMIG (European Smart Energy Solution Providers): European industry association for smart metering, demand response, and flexibility solution providers. Comparable as a coordinated industry voice shaping EU smart energy market infrastructure that USEF also targets, though focused on the device/metering layer rather than market design.
Direct peers
- OpenADR Alliance: Open industry consortium that develops and promotes an open standard (OpenADR) for automated demand response and distributed energy resource coordination. Highly comparable to USEF given its open, framework-based approach to enabling flexibility interaction between aggregators and grid operators.
- ebIX (European forum for energy Business IT and eXchange): Standards organization developing harmonized data exchange models for European energy market participants. Directly comparable to USEF because it co-developed distributed flexibility data exchange standards with USEF and addresses overlapping B2B process definitions for European market roles.
Emerging players
- FIWARE Foundation: Open-source foundation providing interoperable platform components for smart cities and energy applications, including DER integration. Comparable to USEF as an open, standards-driven foundation targeting European digital infrastructure, with overlapping use cases in smart energy data exchange.
- Energy Web Foundation: Non-profit building open-source blockchain-based tooling for energy market coordination, including DER and flexibility market infrastructure. Comparable to USEF as a foundation-backed open framework targeting European and global grid coordination, with stronger emphasis on decentralized identity and chain-based settlement.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
USEF Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceUSEF Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
USEF Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
USEF Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
USEF Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
USEF Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about USEF Foundation
What does USEF Foundation do?
USEF Foundation develops and publishes the Universal Smart Energy Framework (USEF), an open, freely available standard that defines how electricity flexibility (from connected devices, smart appliances, energy storage, and renewables) is monetized and traded across competing use cases. It distributes this framework through downloadable publications (USEF: The Framework Explained), technical specifications (USEF Framework Specifications and the USEF Flex Trading Protocol, UFTP), supporting white papers, an educational interactive game called Balance of Power, and a public GitHub repository of reference implementations, all aimed at Distribution System Operators (DSOs), Aggregators, Balance Responsible Parties (BRPs), Transmission System Operators (TSOs), energy suppliers, and government stakeholders.
Is USEF Foundation a public or private company?
USEF Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was USEF Foundation founded?
USEF Foundation was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is USEF Foundation based?
USEF Foundation is headquartered in Arnhem, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does USEF Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: framework Distribution.
Who are USEF Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are smartEn (formerly ESGFG / European Smart Grids Industry Group), CEER (Council of European Energy Regulators), ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission System Operators) and ESMIG (European Smart Energy Solution Providers). Direct peers are OpenADR Alliance and ebIX (European forum for energy Business IT and eXchange). Emerging players are FIWARE Foundation and Energy Web Foundation.
Does USEF Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for USEF Foundation.
What industry is USEF Foundation in?
USEF Foundation's product category is Smart Energy Flexibility Market Standards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAGABAI, Retail Supply + DER/Virtual Power Plant Bundles (Solar, Storage, DR). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7373.